Sergio Muñoz was only seven years old when he became a devotee of the band Kiss. Isolated and lonely, he imagined Gene Simmons as his own personal guardian angel.
Shara Worden grew up singing Bach and other religious music. But hearing Whitney Houston on the radio changed her direction — and gave her the courage to make music of her own.
Jonathan Amsbary grew up on the idealized, "Perry Mason" version of what a lawyer could be. But "The Paper Chase" showed him what kind of person he didn't want to be.
Amy Douglas was suffering from depression and an eating disorder at a boarding school for troubled kids. Then she stumbled on the cassette tape that changed her life.
As a teenager, Kevin Barnes from the band Of Montreal learned the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb,” and those simple chords changed the course of his life.
John Darnielle has been compared to the greatest lyricists in pop music history. But his biggest influence wasn’t the American songbook, it was heavy metal.
Steven Holl is one of America’s most respected architects. When he first went to Rome as a student, he discovered the building that would shape his career.
